Gulfshore Life’s editors explore Southwest Florida

Here We Go Again: Bayfront Residents Ruining it For Rest of Us

Jonathan Foerster

This is why we can’t have nice things.

Bayfront residents are at it again. In today’s Naples Daily News (subscription required), reporter Aisling Swift says residents of the downtown Naples mixed use development are expected to come out in mass to express displeasure over plans to expand the popular Shane’s Cabana Bar.

What I want to know is where have they been for the last six years. Plans to make Shane’s into a two-story bar have been floating around since at least 2008. The first time around the city’s Design Review Board nixed plans, but not because residents complained. This time around the residents are complaining about the review board approving the plans.

I’m consistently confounded by people who buy into mixed-use areas in Southwest Florida complaining about the types of activities these developments bring. Residents near Fifth Avenue South have continually petitioned city council to keep live music permits extremely limiting. Bayfront and surrounding communities have complained about music as well.

You can’t have it both ways. Either you want to be in the middle of the action, or you want to be in a quiet neighborhood. Naples has both. But it doesn’t have any place that is both at the same time.

Decide what your priorities are and then stop bothering the rest of us who just want to enjoy life, both day and night, in Southwest Florida.

I didn't know we wrote editorials like this in Naples...well done! And it's about time someone in the press speaks out about absurdities like this. Naples has become about as milquetoast as any 'city' (used VERY lightly) could hope to be. City planners have done a bang-up job of taking Old Florida and turning into a Mediterranean strip mall extravaganza...complete with quite hours. Thank you Jonathan!

Aug 25, 2014 10:12 am

Posted by
klsfsu1980

I could not agree more with your assessment of the residents or board members in this case that buy into a development knowing fully what has already been approved and then attempt to assert their control by influencing popular opinion against the improvements. It would appear that these individuals would prefer to limit access to a select group of individuals rather than the general public.

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